This is a five-part video series produced by Mondoweiss on COVID-19 in Palestine. Our Palestine correspondent, Yumna Patel, explores how the virus is affecting the social, economic, and political situation in the occupied territory, where Palestinians are living under both a global pandemic, and the Israeli occupation.
Episode 1: Refugee Camps At Risk
What would you do if you were living in a refugee camp during a global pandemic? For the first time in months, Palestinian refugee camps are seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases raising concerns over the potentially devastating effects the virus can have on disadvantaged communities like the Dheisheh refugee camp. Read more.
Episode 2: Pandemic Under Occupation
Imagine being left to fend for yourself against the coronavirus, as your home is threatened by demolition, and your family is living under military occupation. That is the reality for Palestinians living in the village of al-Walaja. Read more.
Episode 3: Annexation in the Jordan Valley
The Jordan Valley makes up nearly one third of the entire West Bank and lies on the border with Jordan. It is one of the primary areas that Israel has slated for annexation – a policy that would see the Israeli government unilaterally apply sovereignty to thousands of acres of occupied Palestinian land. We traveled to the Jordan Valley to see what life is like for Palestinians there as they fight two battles: one against COVID-19, and one against annexation. Read more.
Episode 4: Economy Under Pressure
Like the rest of the world Palestine has been hit hard with the coronavirus, but the city of Bethlehem in particular has perhaps been impacted the most by the pandemic. At any given time of year, the streets of Bethlehem’s Old City would be filled with tourists from all over the world, but now shops have been closed and the streets are empty. According to local experts, short-term losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic reached up to 500 million dollars in the city of Bethlehem alone, and people here have been wondering if life here will ever return back to normal. Read more.
Episode 5: Creativity Under Coronavirus
Despite being been stuck living between COVID-19 and the Israeli occupation, Palestinians have come up with unique and creative solutions to the problems that they’ve faced because of the coronavirus. In this final episode of our COVID-19 series in Palestine, we’re showcasing Palestinians who responded to the coronavirus pandemic using innovation and creativity as a way to help their communities adapt to the crisis around them. Read more.